Armchair Escapism 2

FILMS

La Piscine (The Swimming Pool)
The dreamy French Riviera in its prime makes the backdrop of erotic thriller, La Piscine. Hollywood icon, Alain Decon stars as the handsome Jean-Paul who has whisked his stunning Marianne away to a villa on the outskirts of St Tropez. When Marianne’s former lover Harry arrives with his teenage daughter, strange jealousies and relationships begin to form. The plot continues to spiral as the four beautiful figures navigate bizarre dynamics in the height of 1960s summer elegance.

Stealing Beauty
After her mother’s suicide, Lucy flees to the bucolic Tuscan countryside to connect with the friends who share her loss.  Her last visit was four years earlier but, in that time, she has blossomed into a young beauty. As she attends lavish parties, poses for artists, falls in and out of love, and writes poetry, we watch her come to terms with her womanhood. Meanwhile, an array of disappointing men collapses at her feet, and Lucy navigates her confused thoughts with endless charming blunders.

Luzzu
A fisherman in Malta is struggling to make ends meet and suddenly faces near impossible choices when his baby is in critical need of medical care. Fishing aboard his crumbling luzzu boat will no longer suffice for the survival of his family, and Jesmark must turn to desperate measures. The story shows a less charmed side of Mediterranean coastal living but is a beautiful example of family love, pride of place, and passion for protecting what is most important to us. 

BOOKS

The Greek Islands – Assouline
More than just an aesthetic coffee table book, the Greek Islands edition from the Assouline Travel Series, is Armchair Escapism at its best. The size and texture of the book allows you to fall into pages which are packed with alluring images, thought-provoking quotes, and inspiring texts from those who have been most influenced by its varying cultures. You will learn how every inhabited island in Greece has an identity entirely of its own

Fiesta: The sun also rises – Ernest Hemingway
In Hemingway’s first novel, he explores the adventures of expat Brits and Americans who have settled in Paris in the 1920s. This group of dilettantes are drawn to the heat and vigour of Pamplona in Spain for the festival of San Fermin. Among bull fights and brawls in bars, the characters experience love, jealousy, passion, power and disillusionment. The writing style is sparing and intense, and the publication established Hemingway as one of the great up and coming writers of his time. 

The Optician of Lampedusa – Emma Jane Kirby
A harrowing yet important tale based on a true story. On the tiny island of Lampedusa to the north of Sicily, the optician Carmine Menna was enjoying a fishing trip with his wife and friends. They suddenly came across a sinking boat overflowing with migrants making the perilous crossing from Libya to Italy. They instantly launched themselves into doing what they could to save them. The novel can be read in a day and whilst upsetting at times, is also a heart-wrenching, inspiring story of humanity at its best during the very worst moments.